HikariYami
by Niilan
Summary: After overhearing a conversation between Yami and Yuugi, Ryou feels he is truly rejected by everyone. Ryou must find comfort in the most unwilling person. Afterwards, both gain a new appreciation for the words Yami and Hikari. Ryou-Bakura centric. Oneshot


Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-gi-oh, and that is not likely to change in the near future... or ever.

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Ryou scurried down the sidewalk, a wide grin splitting his face. Bakura had expended much of his energy the previous day when he had borrowed Ryou's body. Therefore, Ryou was free to do as he wished without Bakura's interference. Embracing his temporary freedom, Ryou resolved to spend a day with Yuugi without fear of his yami disapproving, which he most assuredly would if he knew.

He whipped around the corner and sprinted to the door of the Game Shop. After slowing to catch his breath, Ryou swung open the door, greeted by a cheery jingle of a bell overhead. Yuugi's grandfather looked up from behind the counter and smiled.

"Ah, Bakura-kun!"

Ryou inclined his head slightly in respect. "Konnichiwa, Mutou-ji-san."

The man chuckled. "Bakura-kun, I've told you before, there are no need for formalities."

Ryou's cheeks reddened. He felt awkward addressing an elder by anything less than a title of respect.

"Hai… Mutou-san."

Yuugi's grandfather shook his head, but did not object. Circumventing the counter, he asked, "What can I do for you today, Bakura-kun?"

"Anou... I was wondering if Yuugi-kun was here?"

"Hai, he's in the back. Follow me."

Ryou thanked the man, and they headed to the back of the shop. The man led him to a small living room, and motioned to a chair.

"Have a seat. Yuugi has to finish loading a few boxes and then he'll be out." He turned to the door. "Would you like a drink Bakura-kun? You're quite pale."

"Iie, you don't have to-"

"Nonsense! I'll be right back with a few drinks for you boys."

Before Ryou could protest, he turned out of the room, the door swinging shut behind him. Ryou sighed and sunk into a chair.

He fingered the pattern on the arm of the chair for a few minutes before voices from the back caught his attention.

"But he's my friend!"

Ryou's looked up and turned towards a slightly ajar back door.

'Aibou, I'm serious, this cannot continue.'

"I don't understand."

Ryou rose slowly, wandering closer to the door. His conscience prodded at him, but Yuugi seemed so upset…

'I don't trust him, Aibou. I don't think you should spend time with him any longer. He's dangerous.'

Ryou heard Yuugi sputter and would have found it semi-humorous if under any different circumstances.

"Dangerous? Mou hitori no boku… how could you ever think someone like him is dangerous?"

Who? Who was dangerous?

'Do you not trust my judgment, Aibou?'

Ryou shook his head. He shouldn't be eavesdropping on such a personal conversation.

He turned toward his seat, when Yuugi cried out, "But Bakura-kun's my friend!"

Ryou froze. They... they were talking about _him_?

'Aibou, you must listen to me. I do not believe he can be trusted.'

His brow knitted in confusion. Why? Why was Yuugi's other doubting him?

"Yami, Bakura-kun's not the one doing all the terrible things. It's his other half! Bakura-kun can't help what his yami does. He doesn't even know anything about it!"

Ryou's breath quickened. 'What his yami did'? What did his yami do? Bakura had changed. He had told Ryou he had changed...

'We cannot assume that.' The Phaorah continued. 'I am not completely convinced that Ryou is entirely ignorant of his darkness's actions.'

Ryou shook his head, staring at them through the crack in the door. No. Bakura had changed... Sure, he wasn't kind, but he had changed… he had... Ryou wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Please, Yami, Bakura-kun's my friend. He's not his yami! He never has been. Why would you think he is now?"

'Aibou... you have changed since you completed the Puzzle. Our souls were joined; and, therefore, parts of each other melded together. Correct?'

"Well..." Yuugi looked down. "Yes."

'I have become a little of you and vice versa.'

"Demo... Bakura-kun..."

The logic could not be argued.

"Are you saying a little of Bakura-kun's yami's evil personality has become part of Bakura-kun's?"

_"Iie!"_ Ryou wanted to scream. Bakura wasn't evil and neither was he!

'Hai, aibou. It is more than possible. It is unavoidable. It is very possible that your friend has put on an act, so that his other half could get closer.'

Tears welled in Ryou's eyes. Did his friends truly have so little faith in him... did _Yuugi_ have so little faith?

'I just want you to be careful, Aibou. Do not shun him, because then he could drop his mask entirely and could become dangerous. Allow him to be around you, but do not encourage it. Understand? This is for your safety, Aibou."

Ryou lent closer to the door, eyes wide as he waited anxiously for Yuugi's response. Surely, his friend would defend him. After everything they had been through-

"Hai, I understand."

Ryou could not believe his ears. Betrayal clenched his heart and cruelly twisted. Yuugi... How could Yuugi give up on him so easily?

Ryou back away from the door, shaking his head slowly in disbelief.

"Ah, Bakura-kun! Has-"

Ryou whipped around, his grief-stricken expression instantly cutting the elderly man short. Yuugi's grandfather suddenly frowned in deep concern.

"Bakura-kun, are you-?"

Ryou didn't hear the rest. He spun away, streaking out the door.

"Bakura-kun!" The man called, again.

"Bakura-kun?!" Yuugi's voice followed, laced slightly with fear… and guilt.

Ryou raced away from the store, tears streaming down his cheek, the wind encouraging them down his neck, soaking the collar of his shirt. He didn't watch where he was going. He didn't care.

Ryou tore through the streets, his only goal to be rid of that house of frauds. How could they? How could _Yuugi_… who Ryou had backed up and defended on a number of occasions be so easily persuaded into mistrusting one of his closest friends?

Fakes… That's what they were; fakes. Masks. Lies. They had never really cared. He hadn't ever been special to them. Ryou saw the truth…

… And it tore his heart from his chest.

* * *

Curse the mind link. Curse his hikari's susceptibility to such troublesome emotions. Bakura pressed his knuckles into his head. He wasn't in the mood to erect mental barriers. He was too drained. Curse that hikari! He should-

Bakura suddenly straightened as an overwhelming emotion swept over him. What was this? Bakura looked towards the kitchen, eyes narrowed. He stood. He had never felt such strong emotions from his host... not like this. Ryou was overflowing with a whirlpool of sensations. Was he even _attempting_ to keep them in check?

Sadness. That one was the clearest. A common emotion for Bakura's weak hikari, yet still... different. More potent. Ryou wasn't just sad... he was _grieving_. Bakura furrowed his brow. The closest he had ever felt to this emotion from his host was when Ryou had been dwelling on his sister and mother.

There was something else mixed in the grief, though. Something that made it ache so much. Was it...? It couldn't be... Betrayal? But that was ridiculous. The only person by whom Ryou had ever felt betrayed was Bakura, but that was long ago and still not at this level. What in the world had happened?

Bakura stomped toward the kitchen, intent on shaking answer from his host, when another emotion flooded through the link. It was almost subtle, yet so overwhelming. This emotion... it was unmistakable.

Malice.

Bakura frowned. He never suspected his mild-tempered hikari was capable of such a powerful emotion. Ryou was seething. Hate poured from the cracks of his mind.

Malice... Grief... Betrayal...

Bakura entered the kitchen, his ethereal form silently moving across the floor. He did not make his presence known. Instead, he studied his white-haired yadonushi. His back was to Bakura, chopping vegetables for his dinner. Bakura stared blankly as Ryou practically slammed the knife down onto the cutting board each time he sliced the carrot before him. He nearly slapped the boy when he identified the disgusting sniffles coming from Ryou as he vainly pressed back the tears in his eyes. The moisture ran down Ryou's cheeks, the salty tears glistening in the bright kitchen light.

'You're going to chop off your finger if you don't get a hold of yourself. Not that it would be such a bad-'

Ryou whipped around, eyes triple their normal size. He stared at Bakura with his puffy red eyes sparkling with surprise and fear.

"Y-Yami!"

Ryou quickly wiped the tears, temporarily abated by the distraction, from his face with back of his sleeve.

"I... I didn't know-"

'Stop blabbering, yadonushi. What the heck is the matter with you? You were practically suffocating me with your uncontrolled emotions!'

Ryou blinked. "I-I..."

Bakura folded his arms over his chest. 'Yes?'

Ryou looked away, turning back to the vegetables. "It was nothing. Sorry that I disturbed you."

'Hikari.'

Ryou tensed. Bakura narrowed his eyes. Did the boy really think Bakura was going to leave him alone after such a drama?

When Ryou didn't speak up after a minute, Bakura grabbed Ryou's shoulder and whipped him around.

'Do not ignore me, insolent Hikari! What is wrong with you?'

"Nothing!" Ryou shouted.

Bakura rolled his eyes. 'Honestly, Hikari, you have not talents when it comes to lying. Tell me what in the world has happened to upset your instable balance of weak emotions-'

"Shut up!" Ryou screamed.

Bakura stared.

Ryou's brow was tightly knitted as he fumed. "Just shut up! You don't care! You don't care what happened, so stop pretending! I'm sick of it!"

The tears poured from his eyes, again. Bakura's mouth would not move to respond.

"You're all the same." Ryou whispered hoarsely. "You're all pretending to care, but you wouldn't care _one bit_ if something happened to me. So... so just go away!"

Ryou shoved Bakura away, streaking past him and out of the kitchen.

Bakura remained in the kitchen for several minutes, staring blankly at the space Ryou had recently occupied. He blinked, and then his brow knitted angrily. Bakura spun out the doorway and stalked toward Ryou's room.

The little gaki. To think he could defy a direct order.

Bakura wrapped his fingers around the door handle and turned. Attempted to turn, at least. It was locked. Bakura sighed, rolling his eyes. Did his foolish yadonushi really believe a door was going to stop him? Bakura's ethereal form evaporated, then rematerialized on the other side of the door moments later. He looked back at the door and saw Ryou's desk chair wedged hurriedly under the handle.

A light sob drew Bakura's attention to Ryou's shaking form curled on the bed. Ryou faced the wall on his side, knees pulled almost to his chest, and his head buried in his hands.

Bakura wrinkled his nose at the sound. He hated such weak emotions. They were normal for his hikari, but this was overkill, even for Ryou.

Bakura gripped Ryou's shoulder and flipped him onto his back. 'Yadonushi!'

Ryou gasped as his arms were ripped from his face by Bakura's jerk. "Y-Yami!"

'Oh, stop this stupid act. It's pointless.'

Ryou's face twisted with uncharacteristic rage. "_Me_?!" Ryou sat up on his knees. "It's _you_ who needs to drop the stupid act!"

Bakura narrowed his eyes. 'What are you talking about?'

"You! You pretend to care! You pretend that you have changed, but it's all an act! You just want me not to retaliate. But I'm not you! I'm not! I'm losing my friends all because of you!"

Bakura frowned. 'What do you mean?'

Ryou turned away. "Nothing."

"No, Hikari. You will tell what in the world has happened to make you like this.'

"I don't have to!" Ryou whipped back around. "I don't have to tell you!"

Bakura gritted his teeth, reminding himself that he had to keep calm. No point blowing his front in frustration.

'Tell me what happened. I want to know-'

"Oh, shut up! Just shut up!"

Bakura blinked, then narrowed his eyes. 'You will not speak to me that way, Hikari-'

"You can't tell me what to do, Yami!" Ryou leapt off the bed. "You have no right. Especially when all you do is manipulate me like I'm some toy!"

'What if you are, hikari?' Bakura raised an amused eyebrow to mask his aggravation.

Ryou's brow knitted tightly. "Shut up! I'm not! You… you- uh! Go away!"

Ryou stepped forward, firmly shoving his palms against Bakura's chest. Caught off guard, Bakura stumbled a few steps back. He stared wide-eyed, then gave a low growl and raised his hand to strike. Ryou instinctively lifted his arms to block his face, and Bakura took the opening, grabbing Ryou's shoulders. The boy cried out as Bakura slammed him down on the mattress. Kneeling over him, one leg on either side of his torso, Bakura clutched Ryou wrists, pinning them to the sheets on boths sides of his head. Ryou struggled violently beneath him, but Bakura's hold did not loosen.

'What is wrong with you?!'

"You!" Ryou screamed up at Bakura. "You! Everyone! Me! I'm what's wrong with me! I'm too stupid to see that everyone around me is a fake! I let myself buy all your stupid lies and I'm sick of it!"

Bakura gritted his teeth, his hands tightening around Ryou's wrists. 'You will tell me what happened, Hikari.'

"No! You don't need to know! I don't have to tell-"

Bakura released one of Ryou wrists to bring his palm across Ryou's cheek. The boy's head snapped to the side on impact. He bit his lip, tears again spilling from his eyes. Bakura huffed internally. Finally. Bakura would literally knock sense into Ryou if the boy forced him.

His eyes pressed shut, Ryou again began to shake with light sobs.

'What... happened?'

Ryou shook his head, not meeting Bakura's gaze. Bakura hissed. Ryou didn't move.

'Fine.' Bakura sat back on Ryou's thighs. 'If you won't tell me...'

Bakura raised his palm over Ryou's face. Ryou looked up, his eyes widening with realization. But it was too late.

'Then I will extract it by force.'

"No, Yami-!"

Bakura slammed his palm against Ryou's forehead, and the boy screamed. He tore into Ryou's mind. Spurred by his frustration, Bakura dove in without reservations, ignoring the agony to which he subjected his hikari.

He saw it all. Drilling into the boy's memories of that morning, Bakura viewed the entire instigating scene. He heard the Pharaoh's – accurate – claims against him. He witnessed Yuugi's 'betrayal' of Ryou's trust. He saw the grief on his hikari's tear-streaked face as he fled the Game Shop.

With a sharp intake of breath, Bakura retreated from Ryou's mind. Ryou gasped and immediately pushed him away. The boy fell off the side of the bed and curled up in a corner, sobbing.

Bakura sat back on his knees. So that was it. Ryou's trust in his closest friend had been shattered and reality had proven that every person that showed any amount of affection was a fake. He turned toward his weeping hikari. Bakura understood.

He rose and quietly crossed the room to the boy. Ryou's head was still buried in his knees as Bakura kneeled before him. The yami furrowed his brow. He felt strange. Staring down at his hikari's shaking form, Bakura didn't feel disgusted or smug. No taunting phrases circulated in his mind.

"Why…?" The whispered question slipped from Ryou's hidden lips.

Bakura tilted his head to side, still confused by his surprisingly impassive air.

"Why? Why do you lie to me? Why do you have to put on a façade, assuming I'm too naïve to ever notice." Ryou sniffed, lifting his head a little to gaze at Bakura with red eyes. "Why do you hate me?"

Bakura felt his face contort in sudden rage, and his arm lashed out, grasping a handful of his hikari's white hair. With a vicious yank, Bakura forced the boy to his feet.

'Why do _you_ always play victim? Why do you always jump to conclusions without-?'

"Because they're true!" Ryou twisted out of Bakura's grip, stumbling into the wall. "You're nothing but a coward behind a mask and I… I…" Ryou's voice failed him as his lips struggled to form the thoughts into words. "I… I hate…"

Bakura grabbed Ryou's shoulders and slammed him against the wall. 'Stop this, Hikari!'

"No!" Ryou cried. "I hate… I… I… Why do you hate me?"

Bakura shook the boy. "Shut up, yadonushi. You don't know what you're talking about!"

Ryou shook his head widely, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Why?!" he screamed. "Why can't I hate you?! I want to so badly! I can hate everyone else, but I can't hate you! You hate me, but I can't-"

'I don't hate you, Ryou!'

Ryou froze, staring wide-eyed at Bakura. Bakura's chest rose and fell from the force of his exertion. Neither spoke, a tense silence clinging to the still air.

Ryou lips twitched, a barely audible whisper passing his lips. "You... don't...?'

Bakura gritted his teeth and stared at the ground. His white hair hung over his face, shadowing his expression from his hikari. His fingers tightened on Ryou's shoulders.

"You don't..." Ryou's tone was dazed. "But... you're always-"

'It's not hate, Hikari.' Bakura looked up, eyes narrowed. 'You infuriate me, yadonushi...' His grip loosened minutely. 'But I do not hate you.'

Ryou blinked, as if just registering the entirety of Bakura's original exclamation. "You... you said my name."

Bakura frowned. 'Nani?'

A small smile played at Ryou's lips, his eyes still distant. "You said my name, then. Not 'Yadonushi'. Not 'Hikari'. Ryou." His gaze locked onto Bakura's. "My name."

Bakura looked away. 'It means nothing.'

The room was silent, again. Bakura cursed mentally. What in the world had he done? Why had he gone and said something like that? He never fully admitted it to himself... why would he say it to his hikari?

"How?"

Bakura looked back at Ryou.

"How is it that you don't hate me? You're always mad. You always yell at me. You call me worthless and stupid." Ryou wrinkled his nose. " 'Weak'."

'You are.'

Ryou's brow creased. "Then how can you say you don't hate me?! How can you lie to me so many times and still-?"

'I am not lying, yadonushi.' Bakura leveled his piercing gaze with the boy's. 'Just like you, I cannot hate you entirely. It may drive me to the point of insanity, but I cannot hate you.'

Ryou bit his lip and reverted his gaze. "Why should I believe you?"

'Do you hate yourself, yadonushi?'

Ryou closed his eyes. "Hai..."

'Don't play victim, Hikari.' Bakura hissed, his fingers driving into Ryou's flesh. 'Do you truly, without an ounce of biased self-pity, hate yourself?'

Ryou glanced at Bakura with a furrowed brow. "I... I guess I don't-"

'Exactly.'

Ryou's frown deepened. "I don't under-"

Bakura gave an exasperated sigh. 'Baka na yadonushi! Do you know nothing?' Ryou bit his lip as his brow knitted. 'If you cannot hate yourself, how can you hate the other half of your soul?'

Ryou's eyes widened. "The... the other half..."

Bakura smiled wryly. 'Hai, yadonushi. Your 'mou hitori no boku' as the Pharoah's gaki puts it. As much as each of us rues it, the other is a half of our soul. You and I cannot hate each other.'

Ryou bit his lip. "Then why are you so... cruel?" A small smirk twisted Bakura's mouth. "You yell at me every day. You tear me down with every word you speak and you enjoy every bit of it!" Ryou's hands balled into fists at his sides. "You do everything to give every impression that you hate me. Yet, you say you can't."

Bakura's mouth drew into an introspective line. 'Yami... Hikari.'

Ryou's brow furrowed.

'Darkness and Light.' Bakura muttered.

He gazed deep into Ryou's eyes, searching. Such innocence. Longing to be loved and cared for. Ryou knew nothing of evil. Yet... could he be tainted? By Bakura?

Bakura gritted his teeth and spun away from his hikari, fists clenched at his sides. 'I am your Yami - your darkness. Likewise, you are my Hikari - my light. Darkness and light are not meant to blend. They resist each other, and yet must co-exist. Such a mutual cohabitation leads to a...' Bakura searched for the correct word, 'bond... of sorts. Darkness has a natural enmity toward light, towards its purity and innocence. Yet, darkness cannot entirely shun to the light. It seeks to overwhelm it, quench it...' Bakura lifted his hands and stared down at his palms. 'Yet it cannot live without it... and cannot completely hate it.'

Silence reigned in the small bedroom. Bakura inwardly cursed himself for being so free with his words. What was going on? Why did he feel the urge to comfort his hikari?

Bakura suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening. He looked down to see pale arms timidly wrap around his torso in a loose embrace. Bakura blinked, mouth expressionless. What…? What was Ryou doing?

The urge to tear out of his weak hikari's hold boiled deep within him… but his body wouldn't move. What was wrong with him?

Ryou's arms tightened, squeezing Bakura's stomach gently, and Bakura felt the boy rest his head in his back.

"The light…" Ryou whispered. "The light doesn't feel enmity toward the darkness. Not naturally. Maybe the light can even help the dark. Hai… Bakura?"

'Bakura'?

He turned his head to look over his shoulder, his body slowly following as Bakura turned in his hikari's embrace. Ryou pulled his arms back to his chest, and his regretful gaze reverted to the floor.

'Bakura'. Ryou had called him by name.

That one word spelled out everything Ryou was feeling. He was still angry… still hurt… but the boy longed more than anything to have a true bond with his yami. Never before had his deeper emotions been so clearly interpreted… never had he been so vulnerable to manipulation.

Bakura was jerked out of his musings when Ryou abruptly broke down in tears, again, and buried his head in Bakura's chest. Bakura stiffened. His mind screamed at him to shove the boy away… to end the repulsive contact. His limbs just wouldn't move. He was too preoccupied with the strange lack of loathing he felt for Ryou's emotions. Something else welled in his chest, but he could not identify it. Was it...? He was filled with anger… but not at Ryou. Bakura was miffed at the Pharaoh.

Eyes never leaving the boy pressed against him, Bakura lifted his arms – not to push Ryou away, but to draw him close. His conscience – if it could truly be called that – opposed every action his body made. Bakura wrapped his arms around his weeping hikari and held him there. The boy was heartbroken, and Bakura simply could not taunt the boy's weakness. He just stood there, with his hikari in his awkward, and almost reluctant, embrace.

Several minutes later, when Ryou's sobs had reduced to light sniffles, Ryou pulled away. Wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, Ryou gave Bakura a weak smile.

Bakura sighed. This needed to end before he became too sentimental and ruined his reputation. The Pharaoh could be dealt with tomorrow, but now… his hikari needed rest.

Bakura raised his hand, hovering before Ryou's face. The boy's eyes widened, and he took a tentative step back.

"Don't-"

Bakura lightly pressed his fingertips to Ryou's forehead. He stiffened momentarily before his eyelids drooped.

"I… feel…" Ryou closed his eyes, and his knees gave way. The boy fell limply forward into Bakura's waiting arms.

Why did he feel this way? What was any different about the situation now that had made him say those things… face the truths he always denied?

Bakura exhaled, then scooped up the sleeping boy and laid his gently on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. He gazed silently upon the slumbering boy. Never did he look as innocent as he did in sleep. Bakura ran his hand through his wild hair. He did not understand how the boy's tears could affect him this way. In past, he would scoff at Ryou and call him weak. His hikari's emotions disgusted him, but he felt no repulsion now. Was it because the pain had not been inflicted by himself? Were he and Ryou more like true hikaris and yamis than either of them presumed? What was that pang in his chest whenever he thought of the Pharaoh's group hurting the boy in front of him?

Did Bakura feel… protective… of Ryou?

Bakura shook his head. That was ridiculous. But… what else could it be? If even a little… maybe Bakura really did have a bond with his hikari.

No, he had not been lying, but he hadn't believed everything he had said… then. Now… now he didn't know what he felt. It was true that he didn't hate Ryou, but had he gone so far as to feel defensive of the boy?

Bakura sighed, then sat down on the bed beside his slumbering hikari. Stretching his legs out, he leaned against the headboard and began to absentmindedly stroke the boy's white locks. He didn't understand this feeling. Right now, he didn't see his hikari as vulnerable, which was how he would have certainly viewed him a few hours prior. Part of him wanted to sneer at the sleeping boy. The situation could not be more perfect for one who wished to manipulate the kid. But… he couldn't. He simply could not bring himself to smirk or cause his mouth to twist in any deriding expression.

He stared at the wall. This was insane. He'd never felt this calm; this… sincere. It just wasn't an emotion for which he had the capacity.

Bakura's head jerked up when a light pressure fell on his shoulder. He looked down to see Ryou's head resting against his shoulder, a small, peaceful smile gracing his hikari's lips. Contentment. That was what his hikari felt. And as much as he wished to deny it… Bakura felt a small twinge of it, as well. Maybe the Pharoah had spoken some truth. Perhaps a part of Ryou really was melding into him. But if that was true… what did that mean for Ryou?

Bakura shook his head. He would not dwell on it tonight. Right now… right now he would allow his hikari's peace to seep into him. He wouldn't fight it… at least not tonight. Tonight he didn't loath Ryou… or the truth they had found. For it was what they were...

They were one. Two minds. One body. Two halves of a soul, making each other whole.

_HikariYami._

--

Author's Notes: Finally!!!!! Gosh, I have been writing this for so long!!! I adore this fic. I think it is my longest oneshot. Definitely had loads of fun writing this one; complex idea. I hope you all enjoyed!

This was manga-verse, so there were some references to manga-only scenes. In the manga, during Duelist Kingdom, Bakura talks to Ryou, saying how he has changed, and helps them escape the labyrinth. After that, Ryou doesn't know of Bakura's deeds because 1) Bakura is never mean to him, 2) Ryou's never conscious when Bakura acts, and 3) the others never tell him of Bakura's schemes, and on a few occasions avoid telling him entirely. Besides that, Ryou is just a pure soul who wishes for the best, and naively follows the last impression of his yami - that he had changed.

Last, unless I have a sudden burst of inspiration for something else, my next update will be for _Rescue Me_. Yeah, it's been forever, but I have so many ideas and so little time. Okay, until then - happy reading!

Translator's Note: 'Konnichiwa' means 'Hello'; 'hai' is a formal 'yes'; 'anou' is a form of 'um'; 'iie' is a formal 'no'; 'demo' means 'but'; 'gaki' is 'brat', 'nani' means 'what?'; and 'baka' means 'idiot'.

There is a lot of symoblism in this fic, and I'm interested on what different people picked up, so... please review? ;)


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